Inexperienced drivers and the law.

**vnx205** · 1st December 2006, 07:51 AM

Perceptions and attitudes are often more important than the reality of the situation and that seem to be the case here.
P plate deaths are flavour of the month in the media at present, but I haven't seen any evidence that there has been a significant increase in the problem recently. Each Christmas the media publicise the road toll, leading the public to believe that the road toll rises during the holiday period. However some statistics published about a year ago (I think by the NRMA), show that the rate at which people are killed during the holiday period for most of the past decade is actually less than the rat efor the rest of the year. When the extra cars on the road and the extra distances travelled are factored in, it appears that the holiday period is the safest time ot be on the road. We forget that people are killed on the roads at other times. The current media frenzy about P-platers leave people with the impression that this is a new problem and that it is confined to P-platers.
I read some research years ago that suggested that if a driver had a near miss in the first 12 months of driving, their chances of being killed in the next few years was significantly reduced. I wonder whether Mick-Kelly's near miss in his youth and his current awareness of the need for drivers to take responsibilty for their actions is an example of this. It seems that inexperienced drivers generally need a powerful demonstration of their own fallabilty and the laws of physics.
Driver training is sometimes seen as the solution to the problem, but there is evidence to suggest that attitude may be more important than training. If a driver believes he/she is indestructable and infallable, no amount of training will prevent them from wiping themselves out. It is often suggested that schools should provide driver training, but there are a couple of problems with this. For a start, the resources aren't there to train drivers. In any case it is more productive to focus on attitudes. Personal development courses in schools cover decision making and risk taking behaviour. Driving attitudes are just an extension of this.
One of the problems with reducing the road toll seems to be that there is something called "perceived risk" and everyone has their own level that they will tolerate. It seems that it is normal for people to drive so that the perceived risk is below what they consider to be acceptable. If cars are made to feel safer at higher speed, drivers go faster, so that the risk level feels about the same. Fit better brakes and drivers reduce the gap so that they still feel the same level of risk.
Whatever laws we consider, we need to think through the implications for other road users. We don't want a situation like the Irish Joke where the announcement is made, "Starting next week all cars in Ireland will change to drive on the right hand side of the road. If the trial is a success, the following week trucks and buses will do the same."

**UncleHo** · 1st December 2006, 08:57 AM

G'day Folks

Well, I will add my 2 cents worth, being a Qlder we have some slightly different rules, NO "P" plate displayed, so you don't know if the vehicle infront, beside or behind is being driven by somebody with 20 hours or 20 years experience

it is all very well to pass your license test at 50/90 klm on a fine day then legally get on the highway (M1) 5 minutes later and do 110 in a 6 lane speedway

Qld should come into line with the other States and mandatary display "L" and "P" plates (Speed Limited) and Annual Roadworthy checks, because up here, you need a "Safety Certificate" (RWC) on Registering/Reregistering, then nothing until the End of Vehicle Life while registered in your name

some of these vehicles are astounding, you would have trouble getting a Magnet to stick to them ANYWHERE

As for Accidents all being preventable, in 1973 I was unlucky enought to blow a brand new front tyre(24hrs old, on a Ford Thames van) while going around a corner whilst climbing a mountain road at 60k, the cause ,"Faulty Manufacture" the said Tyre Company was responsable for aspate of fatal and near-fatal accidents, they eventually shut up shop in Australia, and left the country, I was lucky I survived, a little rearranged but still have my sense of humour

End of Rant.

**Ace** · 1st December 2006, 09:09 AM

Changing the laws wont do ****, changing the cars they are allowed to drive wont do **** either. A hyundai Getz can be driven to fast, no matter the car it can be driven to quickly, alot of small 4cyl cars have the power my 93 commodore had and they are lighter. What need to change is the attitudes of the teens involved, this needs to be done by educating them, make driver training courses compulsory before they can get their p's, show them how to handle a car on a country road. No amount of law restrictions will change the situation. Matt

**Grizzly_Adams** · 1st December 2006, 09:16 AM

Our driver training needs to be more involved too. Mandate "advanced" driver training courses before license is given, and only if the advanced trainer thinks they have a suitable attitude.

Licenses are a privilege, not a right.

**Ace** · 1st December 2006, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Grizzly_Adams

Our driver training needs to be more involved too. Mandate "advanced" driver training courses before license is given, and only if the advanced trainer thinks they have a suitable attitude.

Licenses are a privilege, not a right.

couldnt agree more.

**Bigbjorn** · 1st December 2006, 09:24 AM

Well, as far as gaoling large numbers of traffic offenders goes as a deterrent, try this one through your thought processes. In the 1970's Qld. introduced mandatory gaol terms for persons driving whilst suspended or cancelled, and, for three drink driving offences at the higher concentration within two years. By the late 70's the authorities gave up on this as there were too many prisoners and the cost was becoming horrific. Same reason as they stopped gaoling non payers of spouse maintenance, and Road Maintenance Contributions.

**dobbo** · 1st December 2006, 09:56 AM

For the last 10yrs fines and impounding vehicles for auction hasn't helped.
Unmarked police cars, speed camera's, rules and restrictions hasn't any real policed control over the mentality and rushing hormones of a teenager. I blame parents knowingly handing over the keys to the high powered lightweight import/local with V8, 6 or turbo powered family sedans. The kids are brainwashed with fun filled images of very fast nitrous filled monsters in the movies like the FAF movies, and the computer games are all the same, then there's the V8 races. All of these images and media stir up the common same primal instincts in humans or thoughts that make us all want to be on the edge of excitment. This is not a new epidemic, it's been happening for years.

**numpty** · 1st December 2006, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by p38arover

People don't believe me when I say I was a virgin until I got married at 22. True - but pre-maritial sex was very much frowned upon in the Sixties.

Ron

Bo**ocks!!!

60's??? Hippies, free love, drugs.

Frowned upon maybe by those who were already past it.

**dobbo** · 1st December 2006, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by numpty

Bo**ocks!!!

60's??? Hippies, free love, drugs.

Frowned upon maybe by those who were already past it.

Yeh it is sort of hard to imagine isn't it.

Unless.............

No, I must be good and not ask the most obvious question

**Redback** · 1st December 2006, 10:33 AM

The goverment can legislate all they want, confiscate the car and take away licences, but when your young the last thing you think about is getting caught or even care about getting caught.

To say that all accidents can be avoided, well that's just ludicous, i'm sorry Mick but that's impossible, you only have to factor in mechanical failure and the other driver falling asleep at the wheel and that theory is out the window.

You can only be alert and concerntrate on avoiding them the best you can to minimise the affect or reduce the risk, but not avoid intirely.

Baz.

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